UTEP Men's Basketball Falls 84-76 to Northern Kentucky in Season Opener
Free throws and second-half struggles hindered the Miners as they dropped their 2026-27 season opener at the Sanford Pentagon.
The UTEP men's basketball team opened its 2026-27 season with an 84-76 loss to Northern Kentucky on Monday afternoon at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Playing as part of the Field of 68 Opening Day Marathon, the Miners struggled to overcome deficits at the free-throw line and a strong shooting performance from their Horizon League opponents.
UTEP trailed for the majority of the contest, though the team rarely fell behind by double digits in the first half. The Norse carried a 42-38 lead into halftime. Although the Miners managed to cut the deficit to a single point early in the second stanza at 46-45, Northern Kentucky responded with a 13-4 surge to build a double-digit cushion at 59-49 with under 13 minutes remaining.
The Miners fought back multiple times, shrinking the margin to a one-possession game on four different occasions later in the half, but they could not complete the comeback. Head coach Joe Golding expressed frustration with his squad's overall toughness following the final buzzer.
"We've got a starting point now," coach Joe Golding said. "There's plenty that we've got to get better at on both sides of the floor. Offensively we shoot 39% for the game, we let them shoot 50%, and then the free throw line they outscored us 16."
Free throws proved to be a decisive factor in the outcome. UTEP converted only 14 of 24 attempts from the charity stripe, marking a 58.3 percent success rate. In contrast, Northern Kentucky capitalized heavily by making 30 of 33 free throws, good for 90.9 percent. The Norse also held a 39-33 advantage in total rebounds, offsetting UTEP's efforts on the offensive glass where the Miners secured 14 offensive boards.
Freshman Youssouf Traore led the Miners with 18 points and six rebounds, anchoring a quartet of UTEP players who finished in double figures. Freshman Donovan Criss contributed 13 points off the bench, shooting a perfect 4-for-4 from the field, while JUCO All-American Cam McDaniels added 11 points. Ole Miss transfer Augusto Cassia chipped in 10 points and registered a career-high five assists.
For Northern Kentucky, Willie Foster paced the attack with 24 points and 10 rebounds, while Noah Pagotto recorded 19 points and 12 boards. Both players posted double-doubles to secure the victory for the Norse, who improved to 1-0 on the young season.
The Miners, now 0-1, will look to secure their first victory of the year when they host Incarnate Word in their home opener. The matchup is scheduled for Sunday at 5 p.m. inside the newly renamed GECU Arena at the Don Haskins Center.